Camelot's Chaotic Christmas
by Harmony21
Summary: SEQUEL TO BITTEN/MERLIN'S MONTHLY CYCLE! An 'old friend' of Gaius's comes to Camelot, offering to rid the city of sorcerers . . . starting with Merlin.  NOW COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

It was a bitter wintery day in Camelot, and Gaius's knees were aching. He made his way back to his chambers, trying to ignore the pain in his legs. It was just lunchtime and already he'd tended over a dozen people.

Although it wasn't windy, it was cold and the snow was deep. Most of the people Gaius had seen were suffering the effects of cold and lack of warm clothes.

As he struggled across the courtyard, the muffled sound of hooves made him look around. His jaw dropped as a man came riding up on an angry-looking grey stallion, a man he'd not seen in a very long time.

"Daniel Gedren!" Gaius said in surprise as the other dismounted. "What brings you to Camelot?"

Gedren was about Gaius's age, but where Gaius was the kind, fatherly sort, Gedren was the opposite. He bore scars from his war days and his very presence spoke of amoral cruelty.

Gedren's intimidating, mismatched eyes scanned the courtyard, taking in every inch of it. "Strange sort of place to be since last time I saw you, Gaius," he said dispassionately.

"That was many years ago," said Gaius, a warning edge to his tired voice. "I —"

"I'm not interested, Gaius," Gedren said rudely. "I must speak to the king. Is there someone who can take care of Karadon?"

"I'm afraid the stable staff are busy, but I know someone. He'll be right down." Gaius hurried as fast as he could toward his rooms, wondering why a man like Gedren wanted to talk to Uther.

_ "_Merlin!"

The young man was taking a nap when Gaius came barging into his room. The moment he did so, Merlin leapt up into a crouch, eyes on the door, his teeth bared in a snarl.

Gaius ignored his behaviour. "Get up. You're needed in the courtyard."

Merlin didn't move. "Now!" snapped Gaius, turning around and heading to his own bed. After Gedren's surprise appearance, and being outside so long, he really needed a nap.

Out in the courtyard, Gedren stood like stone, oblivious to the cold and continued to watch everyone else's movements. He did something of a double take when he spotted Merlin making his way toward him.

"You're the help?" he sneered. He gave the boy a slow once over, glanced at his horse, then back at the living stick. "Bit skinny for a stable boy, aren't you?"

The wolf locked inside Merlin strained and snapped, but Merlin was able to keep him leashed. Even now, he may not quite match Arthur in terms of physique, but he wasn't as skinny – or weak – as he'd been, thanks to his transformations.

He was also impervious to changes in temperature and a dozen other things that would kill or incapacitate a normal human.

Not that he'd ever tell that to this brute.

"I'm actually the prince's manservant," he said, his voice sharper than he meant it to be; Gedren's eyes flared, but Merlin didn't notice.

Then, before Merlin could step away, the older man grabbed him by the throat and threw him down into the snow. Dazed, Merlin blinked and tried to breathe, but Gedren had big hands that wrapped completely around his neck.

"If you ever talk to me again, _stable brat_, I'll see to it that you don't survive the year," Gedren snarled. He took his hands away and brought down his foot instead, letting out a stream of words only a magic user would know.

Merlin blacked out almost instantly, laying limp and unconscious in the middle of the courtyard.

Satisfied, Gedren smirked and, leaving his horse where he was, turned toward a set of doors he knew would lead him to Uther.

Gaius stared in horror out his window. He'd been woken from his nap by Gedren's colourful cursing and on looking out, had been horrified to see Merlin laying unconscious fifty feet below.

He'd rushed down, but by the time he got to the scene, Gedren had vanished and Merlin looked little better than dead.

Gaius's stomach knotted as he knelt in the white snow next to Merlin's limp body. He seemed unharmed, but for a heavy, boot sized bruise on his head and neck.

Gaius turned as Arthur rushed up, obviously having seen what had happened. Angling himself so he couldn't be seen from the throne room window, he attempted to connect with Merlin. After a moment, he sat back with a frustrated sigh.

"Nothing?" asked Gaius.

The prince shook his head. "It's silent as the grave in there."

Gaius winced at the choice of words. "Come on, let's get him up to my chambers. The last thing we need is for something unnatural to happen."

Working together, they managed to get Merlin out of view and into the castle.

Meanwhile, Daniel Gedren was being shown into the throne room.

"Sire," he croaked to the regal king sitting before him. "I have come to offer my services. My name is Daniel Gedren and I am a Hunter, a finder of magic. I was attacked two nights ago by bandits who fear Hunters. They took everything I have and left me only my horse." The Hunter part was true; Daniel hoped the rest of his story could hold water.

Uther continued to gaze at him for a few seconds longer, and then he smiled. "You are traveling through?" Gedren nodded. "Very well. Camelot could use a man of your talents. But beware: we've had your sort here before and it did not bode well. Tread carefully. You may stay here until you have finished what you've come to do. Sedra?" the king said to a woman standing along the wall. "Show this man to his room."

Bowing, Sedra beckoned Gedren to follow her.

With a nod to the king, Gedren followed, his smirk unseen by Uther.

Back in the physician's chambers, Gaius and Arthur were waiting for Merlin to wake up. When he did, Arthur was leaning over him, pale-faced and anxious.

Merlin grabbed him around the shoulders without a word. Arthur knew that look on his friend's face. Merlin was hungry, and the prince was his meal.

Contrary to what most people would have done, Arthur relaxed, falling forward; the only thing keeping him from complete collapse were Merlin's hands. Merlin opened his mouth, found the main neck vein and bit firmly into the sensitive skin.

Arthur's groan made Gaius look up but he didn't move from where he sat at his table. He dared not disturb Merlin while he was eating.

Gaius vividly remembered the temper tantrum Merlin had thrown a year earlier when he'd discovered he could no longer eat food. A few hours afterwards, his animal instincts had overtaken his humanity and Arthur had been ambushed outside his chambers.

Arthur had been taken by surprise, and even though he'd tried to fight Merlin off, he'd been the weaker one. Merlin had the advantage of a half dozen transformations behind him and had overpowered the prince and taken what he'd wanted: Arthur's blood.

Doing so had bonded them; the bond they already shared had been a lingering one, but by taking the prince's blood, Merlin had strengthened it, and unlocked new abilities.

A moan shook Gaius from his memories. Merlin had finished, and Arthur was slumped over him. Gaius hurried to separate them before Arthur collapsed.

"Sire, are you alright?" Gaius asked worriedly, leading Arthur to a chair. "He took you by surprise."

The prince waved him away. "Thank you Gaius, but I'm alright."

"Still, it would be nice if he gave you some warning," said Gaius, shooting a disapproving look at his ward, who was happily licking leftover blood from his chin, even though there was none on the prince.

Just as the last of the blood disappeared, a knock came on the door and Sir Leon poked his head through. He frowned at the three of them.

"Is everything okay in here? Some of the knights saw what happened."

Merlin considered Leon a friend, and flashed him a smile, if only to keep him from discovering what had really happened. "I'm fine, he didn't hit me that hard."

Leon didn't believe Merlin, and Arthur knew it. He quickly changed the subject. "What's going on?"

"The king wants to see you, Sire. Gaius, our newest guest has requested a remedy."

"What kind of remedy?" Leon raised his eyebrows at the guarded tone of Gaius's voice.

"Headache," he said after a moment with a confused frown. He withdrew.

"I don't like this, and Daniel Gedren does not need a remedy." said Gaius as soon as the door closed. Arthur and Merlin stared at him.

"Something wrong?"

Gaius began to pace, and it was something he didn't do unless he was really irritated. "Both of you need to be wary of Gedren." The tone of his voice said he was serious. "He's very dangerous."

"He looks deadly," Merlin muttered. "I wasn't willing to admit it in front of Leon, but my head really hurts," he said massaging it as he spoke.

"You're going to take it easy," Arthur ordered. "I'm going to see what my father wants."

"Go to your room, Merlin," said Gaius, moving to his bookcase. "I'll be up with a draught —"

"No."

Gaius turned to Merlin with a quelling glare. With anyone else, it would have made them comply; Merlin just glared back. "I'm not injured enough for medicine Gaius," he said. His voice had a hint of a wolfish growl.

When his eyes suddenly flared a deep insidious red, Gaius silently relented. Now that Merlin had the power of the wolf, he had to remember to tread carefully sometimes.

Arthur grabbed Merlin's arm. "_Capendier dinios,_" he said and the red faded back to blue.

"Sorry," said Merlin. "I hate it when that happens."

"Good thing Arthur was here to calm you down," Gaius said with a sigh. "I would hate to see what you'd be like if he wasn't around."

Merlin privately agreed and was thankful that hadn't happened yet.

"Right, I'm going to see my father," said Arthur. "I'll be back later Merlin; try not to cause trouble while I'm gone."

Leaving Merlin in Gaius's hands, Arthur made his way to the throne room; Uther was there, tapping a foot.

"Well?" the king asked, his face and voice a mix of anger and impatience.

Confusion clouded Arthur's thoughts. "Well what?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Uther's growl reminded Arthur of Merlin's. "Don't you dare," he said. "You know what I'm talking about."

Arthur glanced out the window. It wasn't late yet, but darkness came early this time of year; Camelot was only a few hours away from complete darkness and tonight was a full moon. His heart sank as he thought of Merlin.

Since he'd begun drinking blood, Merlin's transformations had shifted to coincide with the rising of the moon. The magical lunar chart Arthur had been given a year and a half earlier had been lost months ago. Arthur knew he couldn't leave Merlin alone during the moon and if he had to go searching . . .

"I assure you Father, I don't."

Uther growled again and turned away. "I received word that Camelot has a sorcerer in its midst. Are you telling me you have no knowledge of this?"

Arthur shook his head, secretly afraid that Merlin had been found out.

Uther heaved a heavy sigh. "Search the castle and city. I want the sorcerer found!"

"Yes Father." Arthur left quickly before his father saw the fear on his face.

Uther continued to growl and pace long after Arthur left the room. Finally, he turned to Gedren, who was standing impassively near a support column. "I thank you for bringing news of the sorcerer to my attention," the king said. "Have you any more news for me?"

Gedren bowed, his mismatched eyes glowing with pride. "I do Sire. As you know, I am a Hunter and –"

"Remind me again, what exactly _is _a Hunter?"

Gedren's eyes narrowed at the impatience in the king's voice, but that was the only emotional output since he'd entered the room. After a tense moment, he said silkily, "A Hunter, such as myself, is someone trained in the magical arts who is hired to find persons suspected of magic."

"Similar to a Witchfinder."

Gedren's eyes flared at that. "We are nothing like them," he gritted out tightly. " 'finders use tricks to catch their prey. A Hunter makes absolutely certain of his target before he strikes."

"And I suppose you have someone in mind?" Uther snapped, hands on his hips. "Magic is banned here, but perhaps in light of your offer, we can bend around that."

Gedren's ugly mouth curved into a sick smile. "Yes Milord, I have someone; he's none other than your son's servant, Merlin. I believe him to be the sorcerer you're looking for."

Uther raised an eyebrow at the accusation. "What proof do you have?"

Gedren smirked. "I was passing him in the courtyard and he melted a patch of snow with naught more than a whispered word. I heard him."

"Guards!" Uther shouted and Gedren's smile widened. "Alert the knights. They are to find Merlin. When they do, he goes right to the dungeons. I want him dead by sunrise."

Nodding, the guards left. Considering himself dismissed, Gedren followed.

His plan was working perfectly. Now, all he had to do was get his tools.

It was beginning to grow darker earlier now, Merlin brooded later that day as he stumbled to the armoury to deposit Arthur's armour for the night. He wished Arthur hadn't left afternoon training to the last minute, but with the hunt for the sorcerer going on, he'd had no choice.

Arthur had told him not to attend practice, as he'd heard from his knights that Merlin was to be arrested on order from the king. To protect him, the prince had insisted Merlin stay with Giaus.

But Merlin had ignored the prince's order.

Merlin dumped the unwieldy load in a corner. Finished, he left the armoury and as he made his way back toward the castle, his stomach began to growl.

The blood lust he hated so much came instantly. The sudden need for the sweet metallic liquid was so severe, he groaned, his hands fisting at his sides. Inside him, the wolf whined.

Unwilling to waste time searching for Arthur on foot, Merlin quickly connected, and found the prince in his chambers.

Arthur tensed the moment he felt the connection spark in the back of his mind. Merlin was hungry again. After a moment he growled, H_urry up, it's getting late and I don't __have a lot of time before I have to deliver my report._

Five minutes later, the door burst open and Merlin stood there, panting from exertion, his eyes wild.

The prince braced himself as Merlin crossed to him in two strides and grabbed him roughly. He bit down without hesitation.

The prince went limp in Merlin's hold and if it hadn't been for the tight grip, Arthur would have slid to the floor.

Just as Merlin was finishing, he sensed the moon's rise. Instinctively, his jaw locked around Arthur's neck, his body's automatic attempt to keep from transforming.

It didn't work. A moment later, he jerked back from Arthur and fell to his knees. The hold that was usually kept on the wolf shattered.

Arthur winced in sympathy as Merlin groaned and screamed. He lay on his side now, panting and twitching as he was forced to change. Smooth black hair replaced his clothes; his hands and feet became giant paws and his eyes turned from their usually welcoming blue to deathly yellow. His nose and mouth changed, narrowing into a slim muzzle full of lethal white teeth.

A few minutes later, a massive black wolf rose from the spot where Merlin had been. Shaking itself, it padded over to the window, sharp eyes glinting in the dark.

"Are you alright, Merlin?" Arthur's voice was soft, barely a whisper, and yet the wolf's ear flicked back at the sound.

_Yes,_ came Merlin's voice. _I should have waited until after I turned to eat._

"Then may I suggest that no matter how hungry you get, don't eat and turn," said Arthur, heading to the door. "You can always eat after. I'm going for supper, are you coming?"

Merlin hurried after him.

As Arthur entered the dining hall, Uther's eyes widened at the sight of the huge wolf-dog, but he said nothing. Instead, he watched Arthur's interaction with the dog, bitterly wishing he'd gotten rid of the monster a long time ago.

As the king's guest, Gedren was sitting at the table, as was Gaius. Gedren had requested he join them, claiming he wanted to catch up, for old times' sake.

But Gaius, Arthur and Merlin knew better. Gedren didn't care about anyone; Gaius figured he wanted to get their measure and since Merlin wasn't present in human form, he suspected Gedren wanted to rule out any association with magic.

_Good thing your not human right now, _Arthur said to Merlin as he lifted a forkful of roasted sweet potato to his mouth.

_Yeah, I'd be in trouble,_ Merlin replied, leaning against Arthur's leg and looking up at him with a hopeful expression.

"Forget it," said Arthur, out of habit. Merlin could eat human food but because his system had become accustomed to blood, he had to cough it up later.

Merlin whined and Arthur knew he was trying to convinced Gedren that he was an ordinary canine and not a shape shifting sorcerer.

"What's that?" Gedren asked, leaning down to see. He hadn't noticed Merlin come in with Arthur.

But he moved too fast, startling Merlin. Instantly, Merlin let out a frightening hiss, and put himself between Arthur and Gedren, hackles raised. He was glaring at Gedren with those fearsome yellow eyes and his gleaming white teeth were bared in a snarl that said, 'back off!'

Gedren paled and quickly sat up again. "Sire?" A shadow of unease crossed his ugly face. "Why did the dog do that?"

"That mutt is a recent acquisition of Arthur's," the king said with a disproving look at his son. "He's been coming here once a month for the last year and a half. I have no idea why Arthur's so attached to him."

The prince felt Merlin's ire. _Watch it Merlin,_ Arthur cautioned sharply, nudging his friend under the table. _Don't do anything stupid. It would be just like you to reveal yourself in front of a magic hunter and my father. Don't screw up._

_Yes Sire, _Merlin grumbled and lay down with what could have been a whine of disappointment.

_Why are you pouting?_ Arthur asked as Gedren got Gaius and the king on the topic of bandits.

_I want a piece of him,_ Merlin growled. _He attacked me and your father let him stay!_

_Merlin . . ._ Arthur was starting to get annoyed. _I know you're upset but just try and sit through the rest of supper and then you can have the night off._

Merlin huffed. _I won't make any promises,_ he said.

The rest of the meal went off without anymore interruptions. As servants came to clear the table, Uther said, "Arthur, where's Merlin?"

Taken aback by the abruptness of the question, Arthur stumbled over his answer. "Uh, he wasn't feeling well."

"I see." Arthur didn't look away as his father watched him carefully. "Well, I'd better see him doing his job tomorrow or he's going to be out of work."

Merlin gulped. _Now what?_ He asked as Arthur led him out of the hall.

Arthur sighed. "You can't change back until after the moon wanes, so we'll just have to figure something out."

_Like what? _Merlin asked. _You heard him. If I'm not your servant that means you could be dead by next week!_

"Hush!" hissed Arthur. "That's enough, Merlin," he whispered as the hall began to fill with other people. "We'll talk about that later. You can go relax now, the rest of the night is yours."

Arthur returned to his own rooms, intending to go over some official papers. Half an hour after he sat down, the alarm bell began to sound.

Instantly, he was on his feet. As he ran out the door and down the corridor, he connected to Merlin, and found him in Gaius's chambers, asleep.

_Merlin!_ He called, jolting the warlock from his nap. _We need to move. There's no time!_ He said, sensing Merlin getting out of bed. _Stay there, you'll have to merge!_

A few seconds later, an invisible, heavy weight settled at his back, covering him from head to toe. Arthur's vision briefly flared golden yellow then returned to normal.

_All right, I'm here, what's going on?_ Merlin asked as he sunk a little deeper into Arthur's body, just below his skin.

"I don't know," the prince gritted as they joined a throng of knights. "The bell just went off."

Merlin growled. _Gedren_.

"How do you know?"

_He's a sorcerer, a learned one, like Gaius,_ Merlin replied. Arthur felt him power up, using his magic to locate Gedren. _Found him!_

Arthur slowed, ducking behind an alcove, out of sight of the other knights. "Where?" he whispered.

_In the forest. If we hurry, we might be able to get there ahead of the knights_.

Peeking around the corner of the alcove, Arthur checked to make sure the knights wouldn't see him. With the coast clear, he hurried in the other direction toward the stables.


	2. Chapter 2

Arthur was able to breathe a sigh of relief when they reached the stables without being seen. Merlin was tense.

"What's wrong?" Arthur asked as he entered Praeneuf's stall and began to saddle him, grateful the stable staff had left when the bell had gone.

_Gedren's doing something,_ Merlin said slowly, reaching out with his powers.

A second later, Arthur felt him snap them back with a gasp. "What?" He tried not to flinch as Merlin let out an angry hiss.

When Merlin called Gedren some choice words, Arthur did flinch. Even he would never say such words, to anyone.

"Merlin what is going on?"

Arthur was immediately cut off by Merlin's shout of pain. Before he could say anything more, Merlin left him, appearing as a red-eyed wolf outside Praeneuf's stall. Startled, the stallion snorted.

"Easy boy," Arthur said, giving the horse a pat. Then, he turned to Merlin. "I'll leave you behind unless you tell me what just happened," he snarled.

Merlin flashed his teeth then sighed. _He knows. When I reached out to locate him again, he hit me back. Now what do we do?_

"Pretend you're not with me, and we'll go look for him. What exactly is he doing that caused the bell?"

Merlin seemed to shrug. _All I can sense is that it doesn't bode well for Camelot._

Arthur finished saddling Praeneuf and led him out. "You're invisible and undetectable except to me," he said to Merlin and mounted the bay, ready to leave. "He shouldn't be able to sense you."

_Well apparently he can, at least when I'm attached to you. I'll try again._

He did so and after a moment, he nodded. _He didn't sense me. Guess it's just you_.

"Ha ha, funny," said Arthur. "Let's go before the knights show up. Lead the way."

They left the stable quickly, Merlin using his sense of smell to follow Gedren's trail. Once they reached the edge of the forest, it was all Arthur could do to push Praeneuf to keep up with Merlin's long strides.

At last, Merlin slowed, stopping behind a massive oak tree. Arthur pulled Praeneuf up and after dismounting, tied him securely.

Joining Merlin by the tree, he scanned the landscape, and spotted Gedren's fire.

It was a bright, eye-watering blue, and, Arthur thought, way too big to be safe.

"What's he doing?"

Merlin sent out 'feelers' and found Gedren was mixing some kind of potion. _I can't tell what it is, but he's cooking some sort of potion. I don't like this Arthur._

"Stop whining," Arthur grumbled, unsheathing his sword and moving out from behind the tree.

_Arthur, no!_

Too late. Gedren had seen them. A snarl twisted his face, eerie and uglier than ever in the firelight.

Arthur drew on his fighting prowess to dodge Gedren's blows as he came roaring across the clearing at them.

Merlin had him trumped.

While Gedren was distracted fighting with Arthur, Merlin leapt at him from behind, red eyes glowing, and sank four, three inch long canines into Gedren's left hip.

Unable to see Merlin, Gedren jerked back, howling and clutching both hands to his bloody pelvic bone.

"What the hell was that?" he cried, trampling snow.

Arthur tackled him as Merlin merged again. Gedren jerked as his eyes flared yellow.

Arthur smiled wickedly. "Gotcha," he said, hauling Gedren to his feet. "Now tell me, what are you doing out here?"

"I should turn you in!" Gedren snarled. "You're magic."

"Wrong," said Arthur, forcing Gedren to sit on his abandoned log. "I am merely a vessel for magic." He glanced at the fire, still burning a bright blue, and arched a brow.

"None of your business, prince," sneered Gedren and before Arthur could react, he was blasted backwards as Gedren threw him with magic from the fire's warmth.

Arthur hit a black cherry, the rough bark scraping his skin through his clothes. His head whipped back and connected with such a solid _thump_ that he was unconscious before he hit the ground.

"That's for snooping," Gedren growled, looming over Arthur's still body. "If you weren't the bloody prince, I'd see you to the dungeons."

He walked away, leaving an incorporeal Merlin fuming with anger.

Fearing for Arthur's life, Merlin didn't move until he was sure Gedren had returned to the castle and couldn't detect him anymore.

Whining, he tried to make Arthur get up. When that didn't work, he switched to his incorporeal human form and, returning to the prince, made his body move.

As he started off, it occurred to him that he could have gone back to his body, but decided against it, as it would have meant risking running into Gedren, and it would take too long to get back to Arthur.

It took him nearly two hours to make Arthur stagger back to the castle. Avoiding the throne room, Merlin made Arthur go right to Gaius. By the time Merlin left him and returned to his own body, Arthur was beginning to come round.

"Sire?" Gaius was at his side in an instant. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I have an egg attached to my head," Arthur groaned, gingerly touching his temple area, where the tree had connected.

Gaius handed Arthur a cold cloth. "Here, keep it covered and the swelling should go down. What happened? I heard the bell."

"Merlin and I went after Gedren. He must have snuck out past the guards, because when we found him, he had a bright blue fire going, and Merlin said he was working on some kind of potion," said Arthur, handing the cloth back to Gaius.

Gaius went very still, the cloth suspended over the water bowl beside the bed. "I told you to be careful," he said sternly, dipping the cloth and handing it back. "If it hadn't been for Merlin, he could have easily killed you."

"He accused me of magic. Told me that if I wasn't the prince, I would have gone to the dungeons."

"I'm not surprised," said Gaius with a sigh. "I knew him a long time ago, when we studied magic together. We were friends and then, during our second year of study, he began to experiment with dark magic."

"You turned your back."

It wasn't a question, but Gaius nodded anyway. "Yes. Our tutors banned him from returning to the school, but he'd learnt enough. After he left, I didn't think of him again." Gaius sighed wearily. "At least not until he appeared in Camelot."

"What are we going to do about him?"

Gaius glanced out the window. "In the morning," he said as Merlin came down the stairs from his room, corporeal and still in wolf form. "It's too late to do it now."

Merlin gave Arthur a confused look. _What're you talking about?_

"Nothing Merlin. We'll continue in the morning. I'm going to bed."

_I'll stay with Gaius tonight,_ said Merlin, turning to go back to his room. _See you in the morning Arthur._

"Night." Gaius heard Arthur mumbled as he left for his chambers.

None of them had any idea a hidden Gedren had heard everything.


	3. Chapter 3

Hidden down the corridor, Gedren remained still, thankful Arthur went the other way to go to bed. So Merlin was still about; he'd have to do something about that. He knew for sure the young boy was a sorcerer, it was just a question of capturing him.

Thinking furiously, Gedren shifted through his repertoire, searching for something that would allow him to get past Gaius and get Merlin out without being found.

Then it came to him.

He crept out from his hiding place and silently opened the door, whispering words he'd heard a long time ago. Physically, nothing happened, but he was assured safe passage, as Gaius would sleep until the sun came up.

He strode right to Merlin's door and opened it. The bed was empty, but from the sound of the boy's breathing, he was sleeping on the floor.

Gedren slipped inside and left the door slightly ajar. Merlin lay on the left side of the bed, curled up on an old thick blanket.

So Merlin was the wolf he'd seen at supper. Gedren watched him sleep for a few moments, then muttered the spell he'd chosen for him.

"_Kaew dnagniri apsid dnimr uoyesruc . . .espari._"

Smirking, he turned and left. Now all he had to do was wait.

Gaius woke up as the sun peaked through the winter thick cloud cover. He'd not felt so tired on waking up in a long time.

He got out of bed and went about getting breakfast ready. When it came time to get Merlin up, he opened the door, only to find the room empty.

It was more than likely Merlin was with Arthur. Putting the strange instance of Merlin being early out of his mind, Gaius went about his daily routine.

Meanwhile, Merlin was waking up to find himself anywhere but his room.


	4. Chapter 4

What the hell is going on? Merlin wondered, testing the bonds he realised were wrapped around him from neck to tail. He needed to return to human form and it galled him to the core that he couldn't.

He tried shifting into incorporeal human form but that didn't work. With a savage snarl, he strained against his bonds. For the briefest of moments, they seemed to give, then suddenly tightened.

Merlin gasped. He knew these bonds. He'd been wrapped in Stricter chains once before, when he'd been caught by Morgause and Morgana.

He'd called the Dragon then, but doubted he'd be able to do so now.

He tried anyway.

It didn't work.

_Arthur, can you hear me?_ But calling for the prince didn't work either.

Damn.

Now what was he going to do? It was getting harder to breathe. The chains tightened every time he used magic. Would they work if he turned his magic inward? He decided to try it.

But his theory was proven wrong. The chains tightened for the fourth time, and Merlin wondered if he was about to die, because very little air was getting where it needed to go. As he lay there, he cursed Fate for allowing him magic as a wolf. It was another thing that changed along with his shift times.

Just as he was about to try calling out again, the sound of shuffling footsteps came to his ears. He froze, listening.

"Ah yes, I'd forgotten about those," said a familiar and very unwelcome voice.

Gedren. Again.

If he'd been human, Merlin would have said something, but as it was, he could only glare and growl. Gedren smiled, leering at him.

"Yes, sorcerer, you're tied with my special chains. Unless I let you out of them – which I won't – you'll be dead within two days."

Great.

Merlin had no idea where he was, and even if he did, he had no way of communicating with anyone. And why would Gedren tell him? Why not let him die?

His train of thought horrified him, but Merlin realised that in many ways, Gedren was like Arthur: stubborn, determined . . . and insane, something the prince wasn't.

Deciding to keep his use of magic to a minimum, Merlin instead followed Gedren's every move with his eyes as the older sorcerer moved around the dank and cramped space. The distant drip of water let him know they were in a cave somewhere. Finally, Gedren crouched near him, smiling.

"I transported you here using a spell long forgotten. Even the druids don't remember how to do it."

Just what kind of training had he received? Merlin wondered. Even Gaius didn't know how to transport matter, and he had a lifetime of experience.

And why was Gedren gloating? It wasn't like Merlin could really respond.

But Gedren didn't seem to care. He rattled on about people he'd hurt, and after awhile, Merlin tuned him out.

Two days, he'd said. Merlin would return to human form by tomorrow at the latest and if he could last until then without using magic, he'd be able to remove the chains.

But he'd also be very hungry by then too.

At last, Gedren stopped talking, and left Merlin to his thoughts. Either he didn't know that his wolf form was temporary, or he didn't care.

Hours passed. Time spun out and Merlin couldn't remember if it was day or night. His only company was the distant sound of water.

At last, Merlin felt his body changing, returning to its human shape. The chains hadn't tightened at all since he'd last used magic and when his body stopped shifting, it was a big relief to breathe normally again.

He was still skinny enough to wriggle out of the chains, which had all but moulded to his wolf body. Able to use magic freely now, Merlin crept out of the cave and was relived to see Gedren was nowhere in sight.

He called Arthur right away, and was pleased to hear the prince was in a panicked state.

_I'm –,_ he began, but the blood lust hit him hard all of a sudden and he fell to his knees. _Arthur I_ –

_Hurry Merlin,_ Arthur urged. _I'll meet you in the forest._

Desperate for food, Merlin forced himself to his feet.

Somehow, he managed to stumble away from the cave and eventually found himself in the forest outside Camelot.

He found Arthur pacing a clearing, Praeneuf tied to a tree. Merlin let out a groan before he collapsed from exhaustion.

Arthur hurried over, horrified at the state Merlin was in. Deep purple bruises from the chains marred his skin, which had a gray tint to it. He needed food.

Now.

Sliding his hand carefully under Merlin's limp shoulders, Arthur raised him up, just high enough he could reach his throat.

"Come on Merlin," he urged. "Don't die on me!"

Too weak to grip him, Merlin nonetheless bit down, drinking deeply.

Unable to hold him up, Arthur collapsed on top of Merlin; they landed in a heap of arms and legs. Merlin felt good enough after a few moments to disentangle himself without letting go.

At last, Merlin stood, his strength returned to normal. Artur looked a little shaky as Merlin helped him to his feet.

"Sorry," said Merlin, looking apologetic. "I've never gone that long without eating before."

"Good thing too," Arthur grunted, mounting Praeneuf and extending his hand to help Merlin climb up. "I'd be drier than a prune otherwise."

Merlin laughed.


	5. Chapter 5

Uther was reviewing the knights in the courtyard when Arthur and Merlin came trotting up. From the shadows, Gedren watched the tense exchange between Arthur and the king.

He shouldn't have left Merlin alone. The brat was more powerful than he looked. Next time, he wouldn't get away so easily.

Finally, Arthur and Merlin climbed the stairs to the castle doors. Without being noticed by Uther, Gedren followed them at a distance.

By the time the two young men reached the prince's chambers, Gedren had decided to bide his time. Now that he knew Merlin was the wolf, he would wait, and catch him next time.

In the days that followed Merlin's return, the approaching Christmas holidays seemed to make everyone happy. Everyone but Merlin.

"What is _wrong _with you?" Arthur asked one afternoon, four days before Christmas. Merlin had been doing his usual chores, but had a very sad aura around him, something the prince didn't associate with his friend. It just wasn't in him to be sad. He was always the one cheering others up.

Merlin sighed and looked up from where he sat cleaning Arthur's boots. "Ever since I escaped from Gedren, I've felt like something's not right."

Arthur snorted. "Rich words coming from you. Of course something's not right! You're a bloody warlock!"

"No, no, not me. He's going to do something. I don't know when or where, but he is."

Arthur rolled his eyes but for the sake of argument asked, "Any ideas?"

Merlin shrugged.

With a sigh of frustration, Arthur left the room.

Merlin returned to his cleaning, and was so engrossed, he didn't notice the door creaking open until it was too late.

"You weren't gone long, Art –" He looked up to Gedren's ugly visage looming above him.

"You've escaped for the last time, _stable brat_."

And before Merlin could get away, Gedren threw him against the wall.

His head hit hard. There was a dull thud and then, blackness . . .


	6. Chapter 6

For the second time, Merlin woke up with no idea where he was. Instead of finding himself alone, he found Gedren crouched near him, watching him intently. Merlin couldn't describe the look on the other man's face.

"Welcome to Casa Prairi, the ancient home of my family. You're in the dungeons. I wouldn't move if I were you," said Gedren as Merlin attempted to squirm out of his bonds.

Merlin turned his head to find a sword pointed at his throat. He squinted at, unable to believe what he saw.

The sword looked like Excalibur, but was black and gold. It was attached to him in such a way that if he made the wrong move, he'd die.

Gedren grinned at the look horrified on Merlin's face. "I'm clever aren't I? If you use magic, the sword will kill you. Also, there's something else."

He vanished around the corner and a moment later reappeared carrying a small, strangely beautiful carved box. He set it near Merlin and opened it.

For a few seconds that felt like an eternity, the box let out a horrible screech then lowered to a hum that was so high, a cat would get a headache.

Merlin hissed. God, how long would that last? Within seconds, his ears began to ring.

Craning his head away from the sword, he bared his teeth at Gedren, who grinned.

"See?" He pulled back a hank of greasy hair to reveal his ear, which was stuffed with a silvery material. "I'm protected, but I feel sorry for you, stable brat. Your poor prince will have to find a new servant I'm afraid."

With that, he closed the cell door and disappeared, leaving Merlin unable to move or escape.

As the minutes passed and the shrieking hum continued, Merlin tried to shut it out, but like a mole, the noise permeated his defenses. He screamed and cried as he felt himself going insane. The wolf howled hauntingly in distress, adding to his pain.

Oh God, if he wasn't in control, what would happen to Arthur?

Gaius was preparing a potion when Arthur walked into his chambers, frowning.

"Sire?"

"Have you seen Merlin?"

Gaius frowned too. "Not lately. Last I heard from him, he was in your chambers."

"He was. I went to get in some training and when I got back, he wasn't there."

"Well he can't have gone fa –"

A sudden pain-filled shriek from Arthur cut Gaius off mid sentence.

"Sire!"

Arthur fell to his knees, clutching his head as it pounded in agony. God, it felt like it was in a vice and getting tighter by the second.

Gaius said something but Arthur barely heard him. He was transported back to the night Merlin had first turned wolf and his pain seemed to double.

For the briefest space of time, Merlin's face appeared before him in his mind's eye and then exploded in a bright flash of white light.

The pain receded.

Arthur lay on the floor of Gaius's chambers, panting and gasping. After a moment, he shakily managed to sit up.

"Are you alright?" Gaius asked anxiously, bending over him, a cup of water in his hand.

Merlin, Arthur thought, ignoring Gaius and trying to drag himself towards the door.

Gaius, still holding the water, frowned deeply as he watched Arthur.

Something was wrong. Seriously wrong.


	7. Chapter 7

"Merlin," Arthur groaned, just loud enough that Gaius could hear him. "_Merlin._"

Gaius put down his water and crouched in front of the prince. Gripping him by the shoulders, he forced Arthur to look at him. "What's wrong with Merlin?"

Arthur's eyes seemed to shimmer and flash. "Gedren . . . pain . . ."

His eyes rolled back and he collapsed.

Gaius managed to haul him to the bed and then summoned Uther.

"It seems he's been working too hard," he told the king. "He's got a bit of a fever. I gave him a draught to help him sleep but I would recommend a lighter workload for the next little while."

He hated lying to Uther, but there was no way he could tell him what was really going on concerning Merlin and Arthur.

"And how long until he's better?" Uther asked, his gaze anxious.

"He can leave in the morning, but I'd give it a week, just to be safe." It was Gaius's turn to gaze at the prince, his thoughts on Merlin as he watched Arthur toss and turn, muttering incoherently in his sleep.

"You know the best way to go about it, Gaius. I leave it to you." Nodding, he left to attend to other duties.

Moments after Uther left, Arthur began crying. Large, golden tears slid down his face. Gaius stared. He'd never seen anything like it before. The only thing he could think to do was to wipe the tears away as they fell.

Eventually, they stopped.

Darkness had arrived by the time Arthur finally roused. "Gaius?" he asked, frowning at the older man who sat vigil. "What happened?"

Gaius looked down, unsure how to answer. At last, he took a breath and told Arthur what had happened.

Arthur's eyes widened. "I remember feeling a lot of pain," he said, a hand going unconsciously to his head. "But that's it."

"No idea where he is?"

Arthur shook his head. "No."

"He'll show up," Gaius said with determined optimism. "He always does."

"I hope so." Arthur pressed a hand to his heart. "It feels very empty in here."

He'd been away for almost two hours, Gedren mused as he returned to the dungeons. The box would have done its job by now.

He approached Merlin's cell to find the young man slumped against the wall where he'd originally been deposited, a blank look on his face.

It was what Gedren wanted to see. He could now return Merlin to Camelot, as useless as he'd always known him to be. He could go on to hunt for the rest of the city's magic users without having to worry about the stable brat getting in the way.

Merlin didn't even blink when Gedren entered the cell and closed the box, which was still humming. Pulling the protective cloth from his ears, Gedren removed the sword and tucked it back into his belt. Finally, he returned the box to its place and carried Merlin outside, where his horse was waiting to return the pair to Camelot.

The prince was going to be in for a big surprise, Gedren thought as he kicked his horse into action.


	8. Chapter 8

"Arthur, come quick!" Gaius called, looking out his window.

Arthur, who was poring over some of Gaius's more complicated books, came running to see. He growled with fury at the sight of Gedren entering the courtyard with Merlin.

"Bastard!" the prince snarled. Whirling about, he grabbed his sword off the table and marched to the door before Gaius stop him.

"Sire, you can't, your not yet strong –"

Gaius shrank back as Arthur spun around, and leveled a predatory glare at him. "He did something," he was so angry, he could barely speak. "That's my servant, Gaius. It's my duty as his master to watch out for him."

Spinning back around, he stormed from the room, leaving Gaius staring after him, dread pouring acid into his stomach.

With triumph in his heart, Gedren grinned as Arthur came charging into view, his gaze murderous.

"Meet your new servant," Gedren called when the prince was about ten feet away. Lifting Merlin up, he let him fall carelessly into the snow. "He's much better now."

With a feral growl, Arthur lunged, swinging wildly but missed. Laughing, Gedren spun his horse around and cantered out of sight.

Torn between going after Gedren and checking Merlin, Arthur opted to get Merlin out of the public eye. People were staring at them.

Back in Gaius's chambers, the prince paced frantically as Gaius attempted to get a response from Merlin.

"What is going _on_?" Arthur all but howled, his fear and frustration peaking. "What did Gedren do to him."

At that moment, Merlin, from where he lay limply on the bed, swung his head to look at him. One eye was on him but out of focus and the other drifted lazily to the left. Arthur felt the connection spark, but it was weak and after a few seconds, it vanished.

He sighed heavily and sat down. "He tried," he said; Gaius looked up.

"Tried what?" Arthur tapped his temple. "Oh," said Gaius.

"It was there for a few seconds but he can't maintain it."

Gaius sat down on the other side. "Well that was the only external stimuli he responded to. I don't know what's wrong with him."

"I'm having seriously bad deja vu," Arthur muttered, thinking back to the same scene a year and a half ago, only Merlin had been blind and mute then, and it had eventually gone away. Despair seared deep in the prince's gaze as he looked at Gaius. "What if he never gets better?"

Gaius looked miserable. "We have to believe this won't be permanent," he said.

Arthur hoped not.

It was just three days until Christmas, and Arthur had never felt worse.

Having found a paragraph in a book titled _The Brain_, Gaius suggested they try to get Merlin motivated by encouraging him to repeat things he'd done before. Arthur suggested merging, as it was something that he'd done thousands of times.

At last, just after ten o'clock, the prince let out a gasp, and his eyes flared gold.

"Arthur?" Gaius looked up from where he was bent over a thick leather tome, the candlelight flickering on the tabletop.

Arthur barely heard Gaius. Sensations the likes of which he'd never felt before flooded him and a heavy weight invaded his body. In his mind's eye, he saw Merlin and his wolf. They looked very sad and Arthur's fury at Gedren increased.

The man would pay for what he'd gone to them. Somehow.

He could feel how tired and weak Merlin was. Just merging had taken a toll, after hours of trying.

Blinking, Gaius's face came into view. He was frowning worriedly at him.

"Are you alright Sire?"

Arthur's hand went to his heart, which was now beating normally. "Yes," was all he said.


	9. Chapter 9

The morning after Merlin merged, Arthur went hunting for Gedren, determined to bring him before the king. Gaius meanwhile, watched Merlin's statue-like body, tucked safely away in his room.

Arthur found him in the Rising Sun, drinking and laughing with other patrons.

His fury having simmered for most of the morning, Arthur went right up to him and grabbed him firmly by the shoulder. Gedren tensed and turned on his stool.

"Well well well, it's the prince," said Gedren, half drunk and unpredictable. "What do you want, pipsqueak?"

Grabbing him by the front of his filthy shirt, Arthur slammed the older man down onto the floor, his emotions boiling over. Merlin was as angry as he was. They both lost it and their control broke.

From where he lay on the floor, Gedren stared at Arthur in terror as his eyes flared red and a horrible sound rasped from his mouth. It was several voice together and sounded like the devil.

_"You dare be so carefree while I suffer a fate worse than death?_ Arthur's face smiled but there was no humour in it. It was predatory and Gedren's fear worsened. _You will go before the king and confess all you've done._

There was no missing the 'or else' in those words.

Gedren scrambled to his feet and ran out the door. As people turned to stared open-mouthed at Arthur, he returned to normal.

He was not willing to answer questions on what had just happened so he left.

"Did you have to make such a show? Couldn't you have done something other than take over my vocal cords?" he asked Merlin as he made his way back to his chambers.

All he felt was a shrug. Merlin hadn't spoken a word since his return and the only thing Arthur could get from him was a feeling or sensation; Merlin could turn his thoughts into a sensation, but couldn't actually talk. At least not yet.

It wasn't long before Uther called for Arthur. On entering the throne room, the prince wasn't surprised to see Gedren leaning against a column. The look on his face was indecipherable.

The king wasted no time. "Confirm for me what Gedren has told me, Arthur."

Dread churning in his stomach, Arthur told his father – without mentioning magic at all – everything that had happened since Gedren's arrival.

"I see," said Uther. "And Gedren here tells me you threatened him at the tavern not half an hour ago."

Arthur felt Merlin's panic and tamped down his own. He sighed. "I was tired of playing his head games," he said with a sideways glance. "I wanted him to stop bothering Merlin."

Uther's gaze hardened. "And yet he says magic was involved.

Arthur felt his face pale. Merlin was in full panic mode. He'd been the cause of the magic.

Oh no. Now what?


	10. Chapter 10

Arthur was aware of his father's foot tapping in impatience as he tried to come up with an answer. What could he tell him? The moment he implicated Merlin, he was dead.

"I think Gedren should go first," he said, catching both men off guard. "There's something important he needs to say."

Gedren was glaring furiously at Arthur, who glared back. Taking a deep breath, and obviously remembering the threat from the tavern, Gedren began to explain.

"Your son speaks the truth. I did want Merlin out of the way. I told you he was magic, that's no lie. What I saw in the tavern –" here he glared back at Arthur, who shrugged. "There was no magic. It was merely my nerves."

"Did you attack Merlin?"

"I took him from Camelot twice, to keep him away from your son."

"They are master and servant," said Uther. "In Camelot, a servant cannot be removed or dismissed unless the master allows it. You had no right to do what you did."

"The last time he took Merlin, he did something to him," said Arthur, anger lacing his words.

At that moment, the doors opened and Gaius came in, followed by two knights, who were pushing a chair in which Merlin's soulless body was slumped.

Uther's eyes widened. "What's wrong with him Gaius?" There was no concern, it was merely a question.

"He is insane," Gaius replied. He didn't bother mentioning that Merlin was still with Arthur. "He can't do anything but blink and breathe. Someone else must do everything else for him."

"Thank you Gaius." Taking this as a dismissal, Gaius followed the two knights out.

Uther turned his attention back to Gedren. "Did you do that to him?"

Gedren sighed. "Yes."

The king's expression closed. "I warned you what could happen when you came here. Guards, arrest him!"

They rushed forward and escorted him out. Arthur followed without waiting for a dismissal.

Safely back in his chambers, he paced and wondered what to do, pausing only long enough to let Merlin eat.

Half an hour later, he had an idea.

Gedren rattled his bars, to no avail. He'd tried every spell he could think of to try and get out of his cell, but nothing had worked. There were no guards posted, but it didn't matter.

The sound of footsteps alerted him that someone was coming. He tensed but relaxed when he saw it was only the prince.

"Going to let me out?" he asked.

Arthur glared through the dark at him. "No."

Gedren gave the bars a final shake in frustration and made to step away, but Arthur grabbed his hand. Summing up all his emotions, he gave himself over to Merlin.

_Push. Up. Out._

They weren't spoken, but as Arthur gripped Gedren's hand, he could feel Merlin's insanity flowing outward, with him as the bridge. Gedren began to whimper and when he tried to jerk away, Arthur tightened his grip. He wasn't going to let him get off scot-free and giving him Merlin's insanity seemed a fitting revenge for all he'd done.

At last, Arthur felt Gedren's resistance eroding and he let go. Gedren collapsed to his knees, his gaze as blank and staring as Merlin's had been.

Back to normal, Merlin shifted restlessly. _What's going to happen to him?_

"That's up for my father to decide," said Arthur, turning away from the sight that would no doubt haunt him for days. Without looking back, he returned to his chambers.

They didn't hear a word about Gedren until the following day. During the annual pre-Christmas ball, Gaius took them aside.

"The king told me last night that Gedren's been banished from Camelot," he said, to the delighted faces of the two young men. "He's in the care of another kingdom. And don't look like that."

Arthur and Merlin ducked. "Sorry Gaius," they chorused, looking apologetic. "We know he was a friend," said Arthur.

"That was a long time ago." Gaius sighed. "It's not your fault it ended the way it did."

Arthur opened his mouth to reply but Merlin jabbed him in the ribs. "Forget about it," said Merlin.

Arthur returned to the party. He deserved to enjoy the holiday after what they'd been through. They both did.


End file.
